I was able to easily grab tickets at the door of Of Montreal's Friday night show at Roseland Ballroom. Though Love is All had already finished their opening set before I made my way to the main room, I caught their cover of "I Ran (So Far Away)," which I also heard at their Market Hotel show over the summer, from the entrance way.

Most notably, Of Montreal made good on their promise to amp up their stage show. Standing on a field of risers and platforms, the band performed before a row of projectors while a troupe of costumed actors wheeled in props and sets to illustrate the night's songs and transitions. The various background tableaux ranged from a Western saloon scene to the life, death, and resurrection of Kevin Barnes (or at least his onstage persona Georgie Fruit), both distracting from and adding to the music at different points in the night.

The peak of the onstage theatrics came mid-set during "St. Exquisite's Confessions," when Kevin Barnes mounted a nervous looking white pony (editor's note:WTF??), singing the song's first minute or so from atop it.

For whatever reason, most of the crowd stood feet planted, arms-crossed, moving only when provoked by "She's a Rejector" and other older songs. I suspect that the lackluster response stemmed from unfamiliarity with the mostly-new Skeletal Lamping material (the album isn't actually out until Oct 21, though copies could be had at the merch table) paired with the impersonality of the huge room.

For the encore, the band performed an unironic, straight ahead cover of "Smells like Teen Spirit" before closing with "Gronlandic Edit." Overall, the show was a good time, but lacked the communal party atmosphere of past Of Montreal shows I've been to.

In my experience of the show, the crowd certainly did not have a "lackluster response"; it was the most frenetic concert-experience I have been to in a crowd for a long time! And I think their music is fabulous!

Yeah, I also disagree with the "reviewer" I don't know where he was standing but the front row was pure madness. I also heard an 18 year old boy have a nervous breakdown when Andrew from MGMT played guitar for the encore, hahaha. Here are some more photos:

some douchebag kept on stealing these kids ciggs and joints to feed off of their misery. The guy didn't even work at roseland, he just took it right out of their mouths and threw it on the floor.
obviously this guy doesn't know what it's like being a kid. he was probably born with those shitty ass mutton chops and vest that he most likely bought at urban outfitters.
fucking hipster ruined the whole show for everyone trying to have fun

the show was definitely fun, but, too many songs from skeletal lamping. Also, unlike a year ago at Roseland (which was spectacular), they didn't use a backing synth/percussion/drum machine track, which I think kept things together a little better.

Nothing going on here? I am so sick of all you supposed music lovers who can't appreciate a band that is trying to push the envelope while remaining talented and legit. Of Montreal has been around for a long time, and their popularity is a testament to hard work and creativity that keeps their music fresh. So what if they want to put on a crazy stage production? That's their perogative and their fans appreciate it. I'm sorry you prefer to watch a band stare at their feet while crying about some bitch who dumped their asses. There's a reason why your favorite band, which I'm guessing you probably only like because Pitchfork HATES it (which of course, you HAD to mention...soooo 2007), will be gone tomorrow. Get a over yourself and continue searching for porn online.

i was at this show, and i didn't enjoy the music very much (sounded over-rehearsed, and almost like club music, with too much of that 'night at the roxbury'-style mindless thumping for my taste). but i have to say that the reviewer here, one Andrew Frisicano, is just straight up lying to purport that this show lacked the "communal party atmosphere" of recent of montreal shows. i've been to the last 4 shows they've played in new york (i don't think i missed one), and to suggest that the crowd wasn't freaking the fuck out to at least the same extent as they were at the last 4 is total nonsense. this was not subjective. the guy had an agenda in writing this. lame.

this show was amazing. they had a great setlist, and it was a lovely, surprise when they played Eros' Entropic Tundra. And I listened to Skeletal Lamping a lot in the weeks before the concert so I could rock out to every song.

The last two Of Montreal albums are arguably the two strangest albums they have released, Skeletal Lamping in particular. The Outback and T-Mobile deals are kind of irritating, but I would probably say it's worth it if it allows them to keep putting on shows like this.

Haters will hate, but the fact is that the band played a huge, packed-out show to a crowd that ate it up, even if most of the material was from the new, officially unreleased album. Mr. Frisicano's review is way off base and reeks of smugness, like he's trying to score points for seeing OM way back when or name dropping Market Hotel. How cool.

Yes i was up in the front and the crowd was completely ridiculous the whole night.
Yes the horse and Nirvana were only for NYC, but they have been doing the coffin the past couple nights of the tour as well.
A setlist shouldn't be too hard to find because I do believe they are playing the same set the entire tour to match up with all the theatrics.